Are Outdoor Cats Happier?

There still keeps on a discussion about letting family pets go outdoors. Cat fans support various things. We all know their abilities in troublemaking. Toys for domestic animals are still bought despite any problems, even if everyone knows that packaging matters. There is a core question among members of the feline family: “Is walking in the street useful for a cat’s way of life?”.

Despite living indoors (for about 4,000 years!), cats remain cats with their inherent habits, namely, hunting skills, fast climbing trees, and other special outdoor behavior. When you watch your four-pawed friend jumping, running, or playing in the sunshine, you can think that he is happier in the street. But there are a lot of stresses and hazards which threaten an animal’s life. Your fluffy-tailed family member can face many dangerous factors walking outside: 

• venomous plants; 
• vehicles; 
• ratsbane;
• dangerous animals;
• wild cats.

Individuals who don’t restrict access to the street want to be good masters for their pets. But according to the survey, the outdoor cats live less than domestic ones – approximately ten or twelve years! If your bushy friend is allowed to go outside, you can give up reading some useful literature where experts insist that outdoor cats aren’t much happier than those living indoors. 

“It is not a secret that a cat gets more experience in the street,” tells Dr. Graham, Chief Veterinarian at Animal Humane Society. “But it is also generally known that cats live long happy lives indoors not facing all those risks”. So, as you see, we are speaking about enabling them to show their habits, for example, exploring and hunting. 

Getting Experience Indoors

Animals that live indoors have a wide range of activities. The whole flat or house is at their disposal all day and night. And as they think they must thoroughly investigate it. To diversify this task, you can invent interesting quests: hide food and toys in hard-to-get-at places in the living room, kitchen, or other places. For practicing hunting or other habits there is a large range of toys.

Getting life experience is possible via playing which makes the pet’s daily routine not so boring. The quality time of any cat is playtime that can also promote the good health of your beloved critter!  

One of the greatest forms of entertainment is a window in your house or a flat. That’s why it is very necessary to provide access to a window seat. Your kitty can observe:

• mice;
• birds;
• squirrels;
• rabbits;
• other moving objects like cars, people, etc. 

A cat may watch them for a long time without any risk. All these activities help to avoid risks from being in the street.

Allowed Ways for Companion Animals to be Outdoors

It is a proven fact that living indoors for cats is much healthier and safer because of less risk of disease or trauma. But some of them greatly insist on going outside. For such a walker, you can buy a training leash.

There is another way to let your family pet be outside. An outdoor cat enclosure can be built or bought. It allows your kitty to walk in your backyard and feel being in the street without endangering him from outer world risks.

Disease Prevention and Tracking

If you let your family pet be outside, you must be sure to protect him carefully. It means:

• The visits to veterinarians should be regular – once three months.  
• Buy a special collar that helps to locate your animal companion.
• Appropriate protection from tick and flea should be provided
• Your cat’s contact with the outer world should be restricted to be protected from diseases.
• Remember when it gets dark your four-pawed friend must be at home. 

You must also be ready to pay for extra visits to the vet for some unexpected occasions.

Your Cat Doesn’t Have Claws, Walking Outside is Prohibited

If your cat is declawed, don’t let him go in the street. The cat without claws is incapable to protect himself from outside danger. 

To sum up: the veterinarians strongly recommend you leave your four-pawed friend at home. But it is you who must decide. If you decide to let your cat outdoors, take all preventive measures to keep your beloved animal safe and healthy.